


Love and Ghosts in California

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Jealousy, Love Triangle, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-01-29 17:28:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21413920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: The Ghostbusters are called by Louis Tully to fly out to California to take care of a slight ghost problem. But they soon find out it’s not as small as they thought.
Relationships: Egon Spengler/Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully/Janine Melnitz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. We Might Have a Bigger Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to morganskye for her help on getting this story pulled together.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters are called to California but they might have a bigger problem than they think.

San Diego, California:

Louis Tully was on his way to work at his uncle’s law firm. His uncle had called Louis practically begging him to join his firm; he was in dire need of a tax attorney. Louis had been dodging the move for a few months. But after his short lived relationship with Janine Melnitz fizzled out, he thought a change of scenery was necessary. Besides, his life had been so chaotic in New York with the whole Gozer incident, he was eager to put some distance between himself and ghosts. That was two and a half years ago. Since he relocated, his life has become a regular scheduled order of events - just the way he liked it.

Unfortunately, that all is about to change.

He noticed something was wrong as soon as he pulled into his parking spot. Their receptionist (and his girlfriend of two months) Jacqueline was standing outside the building, a look of horror on her face. 

She ran up to Louis as soon as he got out of the car. “Oh Louis! I’m so glad you’re here!” She threw her arms around his neck. 

Louis could feel her body trembling. As he gently took her arms and removed them from around his neck, he looked her in the eyes. “Jackie, what’s going on?”

“I … I don’t know. I had just gotten to my desk when the power went out. Then I heard somebody laughing! But, other than your Uncle Byron, I was the only person here! The next thing I knew, the file drawers opened up by themselves and all the papers started flying everywhere!”

“Oh boy,” Louis mumbled. 

“Do you know what to do?” Jackie asked.

Just then, Uncle Byron walked up. “Louis, my boy! It seems we’ve got some kind of ‘unusual’ situation here.”

“Yeah, I think I know what to do,” Louis said hesitantly. “I was hoping I had left all of this stuff in New York.”

******************************  
Ghostbusters HQ - New York

Janine was getting ready to leave for lunch. “Egon! Come on!” She called out. They had a lunch date that she was eager to get to. 

He came running downstairs. “I’m ready!” 

She was just picking up her purse when the phone rang. “Ah shit,” she mumbled as she picked up the phone. “Ghostbusters! Oh hi, Louis! How’s it going?”

Egon’s attention was immediately drawn to her conversation. He and Janine have been dating for the past year. It had taken some time for him to admit his feelings for the lovely redhead. The fact that she and Louis had once dated for a short time stuck in his memory as well.

“No kidding? Hmm … yeah, I’ll let Dr. V and the others know. They’ll get back to you. Bye!”

“We’re not going to lunch, are we?” Egon asked.

“I guess not,” Janine replied, her voice saddened. “The office where Louis works in California seems to be haunted. He described the power went out, their receptionist heard somebody laughing, then the file drawers opened up by themselves, all the papers flying out.”

Ray, Winston And Peter had gathered by now after hearing the phone ring. 

“Wow! Sounds like a poltergeist!” Ray exclaimed.

“Did he describe anything else? Ectoplasmic residue?” Egon asked, adjusting his glasses. 

“No. The employees were too afraid to go back inside,” Janine answered. 

“Well, sounds like we’re taking a trip!” Peter announced.

“I’ll make your flight arrangements,” Janine said as she put her purse away and sat back down. “Louis said his uncle is gonna send a private jet so you won’t have any trouble getting the packs on board. I’ll just need to let them know which airport to use so they can contact the airport and make the arrangements themselves.”

“Sorry about your lunch plans,” Winston apologized. 

“Eh, it’s ok. This just means Egon owes me dinner,” she purred, giving Egon a seductive smile. 

Egon just smiled as he started back upstairs, his cheeks turning pink. 

*******************************  
An hour later and the guys were packing their bags. Janine had gotten their airline information to Louis’ uncle’s office and hotel arrangements squared away. 

She met Egon as he brought his bag downstairs. She was going to drive them to the airport in Ecto-1 and bring it back to the firehouse. 

“Don’t look so sad, Janine,” Egon said. “Hopefully, we’ll be back in a couple of days at the most.”

“I’ll miss you,” Janine said as she hugged him tightly. 

“Then give me a nice welcome home surprise when we return,” he whispered in her ear. 

“Mmm, you better believe it, Buster!” She said, Then nibbled his earlobe. 

He kissed her tenderly on the lips, then started packing Ecto-1. Ray brought a suitcase and a duffle bag. 

“Two bags?” Peter asked.

“One for clothes, one for reference books,” Ray replied casually.

“I’m surprised Spengs didn’t bring more than one!” Peter said with a smirk.

“My books are in Ray’s bag, also,” Egon replied.

Winston came down with his bag. “Ok! Let’s roll!”

Janine got behind the wheel since she’d be driving Ecto-1 back to the firehouse. She stood by the outside of the vehicle as the guys gathered their belongings to board the jet. 

“Oh, come on you two! We’ll be back before you know it!” Peter said, rolling his eyes but grinning.

“Be careful. I love you,” Janine said.

“I will, and I love you too,” Egon replied, kissing her once more on the lips. 

“Maybe we’ll bring you back something autographed?!” Ray suggested. 

“We’re going to San Diego, Tex; not Hollywood,” Peter said.

“It doesn’t matter; we’ll bring you back something!” Winston said.

“Yeah! A horny blonde physicist!” Peter laughed. He barely dodged the empty Coke bottle Janine hurled at him.

***********************  
The flight was enjoyable: Winston caught up on some reading with his favorite mystery novel; Ray chattered excitedly the whole trip looking out the window; Egon was busy studying notes of his latest experiment; and Peter caught up on some sleep. 

Louis’ Uncle Byron had a car waiting at the airport for them. Once they arrived at the office, Louis and his uncle greeted them. 

“Hey guys! Glad you made it!” 

“Hey Louis! How’s it going?” Peter asked. 

“Well, it was going great until this morning.” He gestured to the mess that the office was in. “Janine said not to touch anything til you guys got here and took a look around.”

“Yes, you acted correctly,” Egon said as he started taking PKE readings. 

“Yeah, kinda like a crime scene,” Winston added.

“Wow! Egon, take a look at this!” Ray shouted. “The files and cabinet drawers are covered in slime! Just like the library right before we started the business!”

“Yes, it certainly is cause for deja vu,” Egon replied.

“Call it any kind of French you want; it’s still gross!” Peter said, carefully stepping around the slime. 

Egon took several samples of the slime as the others carefully walked through the office looking around. 

Winston noticed something odd in the break room. There was a small puddle of what looked like water behind the vending machines. “Hey, Ray! Come take a look at this!”

Ray ran over with his PKE meter with Peter following. The arms raised slightly, picking up residual readings. “Looks like what’s left from a Class 3 entity!”

“Like slime or something?” Peter asked. 

“Sort of. Kind of like what Slimer leaves behind when he vanishes through a wall,” Ray replied. 

“So something went through this wall?” Winston asked.

“Or the vending machines,” Ray said.

Peter and Winston prepared their throwers while Ray opened the drink machine. But there was nothing there, just drinks. He then opened the snack machine, but there was nothing out of place there either. Ray’s PKE meter wasn’t registering anymore readings. 

“Let’s get this slime to Egon so he can run tests!” Ray said excitedly. He took a vial from his jumpsuit pocket and scooped up the slime. 

Louis had the company driver take the Ghostbusters to their hotel; Janine had already made the arrangements. Once checked in, Egon took his bag of microscopes and such to the room. Within minutes, he had the desk in the hotel room transformed into a makeshift lab. 

Winston ordered pizzas and had them delivered. Ray was busy searching their reference books for anything that could help identify the slime. Peter was stretched out on the bed channel surfing. 

“When will the results be in?” Winston asked as he dug into the pizza. 

“Another hour and thirteen minutes,” Egon replied, checking his watch and taking a bite of his pizza. 

“I have found some information that could help us with this case,” Ray offered. 

The others listened as they quietly ate. 

“We’re probably dealing with a poltergeist,” Ray said. 

“We’ve handled those before, no problem!” Peter replied casually.

“Yeah, but this particular type of poltergeist isn’t as easily caught as the others we’ve dealt with.”

“How so?” Winston asked.

“This kind, known as imps, are extremely malicious,” Ray explained.

“I thought imps were playful?” Winston asked.

“Most are but they can also be highly harmful. They like to play pranks, but they can take these pranks too far, resulting in injuries or death.”

“Well, sounds like we need to put this thing in a permanent time out!” Peter said light heartedly. 

A little more than an hour later, Egon looked over his test results. The frown on his face did not help the others feel better. 

“How bad is it?” Ray asked warily.

Egon adjusted his glasses as he finished his calculations. He looked at the men. “We’re going to need to fly Janine out here. This slime Ray gathered from the vending area as well as the slime I took from the office area share the same PKE signature. This means it all came from the same source.”

“Then why fly Red out here?” Peter asked. 

“The PKE signature readings are steadily increasing,” Egon explained. “It’s getting stronger as it sits here, which means the imp that left the slime behind is as well. We’re going to be dealing with a very powerful entity very soon.”

The others shared a worried look as Egon picked up the phone.


	2. Welcome to California

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine joins the Ghostbusters in California to help with a potential problem with a ghost.

Egon was waiting at the airport for Janine to arrive. Louis’ uncle had sent his private jet back to New York for her to use. It turned out to be helpful since Egon had asked her to bring additional ghost traps and proton packs. Once the jet landed, Egon welcomes her with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Janine smiled. “You’re still not comfortable showing affection in public, huh?” She gently teased.

Egon raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I believe showing deep affections should be kept in the privacy of one’s bedroom.” Then he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “and the deeper affections I want to display are definitely worthy of the bedroom.”

Janine’s face blushed deeply, her heart fluttering. During their time of dating, Egon had proven himself to be quite an affectionate man and very skilled at lovemaking - things Janine was somewhat surprised about, given his usual stoic demeanor. 

“Well then, let’s get this ghost problem taken care of so we can get to a hotel room!” She purred. 

Egon helped the driver load the extra equipment into the trunk of the car that Uncle Byron had sent. Soon, they were on their way to the hotel the guys had been staying at. Egon brought Janine up to date on what they had discovered about the entity so far and the possible implications the slime poses. 

Janine looked worried. “Wow! This sounds like it could get bad!”

“There is always that potential, but I’m hoping with your help, we’ll be able to handle it quickly.” Egon tried to reassure her. 

They made idle chit chat the rest of the way to the hotel. They carried the equipment to the room the guys had, then Janine took her bag to the room a few doors down. She returned to the guys’ room to see what their next move was. 

“So, what now?” Janine asked. 

“I want to go back to the office and take more readings,” Egon said. “I want to see how much of the perimeter around the building this entity has been.”

They gathered their gear, Janine put on her jumpsuit, and they took the company car back to the office. As they got out of the car, Janine hesitated to go inside. 

“Are you ok?” Egon asked concerned. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah … I’m fine. Just a little …. tired I guess,” she responded. 

“A little jet lag; you’ll get used to it,” Ray said. “The time zone change weirds you out for a bit.” 

Janine smiled before following Ray inside.

Louis had met them there. “Hey Janine! Good to see you!” He rushed to her and pulled her into a hug. 

She limply returned the hug. However, Egon noticed her expression. It was a cross between sadness and … he wasn’t quite sure - happiness? Her face was flushed. He suddenly felt a slight wave of jealousy course through his body, stopping in the pit of his stomach. 

Janine quickly pulled away from Louis, realizing she had been hugging him too long for a simple friendship hug. “Nice to see you, too!”

“You guys need anything?” Louis offered.

“No thank you. I just need some additional readings,” Egon said, his tone dismissive. 

The other guys heard the tone and tried to change the subject. 

“Ok! Let’s get those readings! I wanna make a pit stop by the beach!” Peter said. 

Janine followed closely by Egon’s side as he took his PKE meter and slowly headed towards the back of the building. Peter, Winston and Ray split up and checked the outside areas. 

Egon stopped abruptly just outside a supply closet tucked away in the rear of the building. Janine bumped into him. 

“Sorry, wasn’t ready for the sudden stop,” she apologized. “You got something?”

Egon turned to face her, his expression somewhat angry. “What was that? With Louis?!” It was hard to miss the anger in his voice. 

Janine’s face paled. “Nothing! He knocked the wind out of me when he grabbed me!” Then it hit her; he was jealous. She put her hands on her hips. “Do you honestly think I have feelings for him?!”

“You two did have a relationship,” Egon countered.

“We dated for three and a half months! But I ended it! Because I was in love with YOU!” She narrowed her eyes. “Is this gonna be a problem? After all, YOU called ME, remember?!”

“You’re right, maybe that was a mistake,” Egon said coldly. 

“FINE! I’ll go back to the hotel!” She stomped her way back through the office. 

Peter and Winston saw her leaving with a look of hurt in her eyes. She had already started crying. But the driver had already left before they could reach her. 

“Oh boy, what’d he do now?” Peter sighed. 

They found Egon still in the back part of the office taking readings. 

“What the hell is going on?!” Peter shouted. 

Egon jumped and spun around to face Peter and Winston. “Where’s Ray?”

“Outside taking readings around the building,” Winston said.

“Answer my question!” Peter demanded. 

Egon took a deep breath, realizing he wouldn’t be able to dodge Peter. “I think it was a mistake in asking Janine to join us here. She’s better off returning to New York.”

“What happened to needing her help? This entity is gonna be a bigger problem than we thought?!” Peter insisted.

“We will be able to handle this ourselves,” Egon said sternly. 

“That’s BULLSHIT! You’re just jealous that Louis was happy to see her!” 

“That’s enough!” Winston shouted, stepping in between the two men. “Egon, if you’re right about this thing becoming a bigger problem, which you always are, then we will need all the hands we can get. Janine didn’t look to me like she was happy about that hug; she was just being polite. Yeah, they did date for a while, but she’s with you now. You don’t have anything to worry about. Now, put aside your personal feelings. We’ve got a job to do so let’s do it! Call the hotel and make sure Janine stays here!”

Egon nodded slightly and picked up the nearest phone. He left a message with the desk clerk to tell Janine to stay at the hotel instead of returning home. He knew Winston was right and so was Peter. He just didn’t want to admit it yet. 

*******************  
The desk clerk saw Janine when she returned to the hotel. He ran to stop her before she got on the elevator. 

“Ms. Melnitz?”

“Yeah?”

“I have an urgent message for you from Dr. Spengler! He said to stay here; don’t return to New York.”

She gave the clerk an icy stare. “Did he now?”

“Yes ma’am! He also said to tell you that he’s very sorry, and he’ll explain later.”

Janine’s expression softened. “Ok, thanks.” She gave the clerk a faint smile. 

He smiled back and quickly returned to his work area. 

Janine continued on her way to her room. Once inside, she removed her jumpsuit and started stripping for a shower. 

She had taken her time, letting the hot water beat down on her back, helping her relax. When she got out and dried off, she noticed the time on her watch lying on the sink counter. It had been twenty minutes! She sighed as she wrapped the towel around her. 

She stepped into the bedroom to retrieve some fresh clothes when she saw Egon sitting at the foot of her bed, looking sheepishly awkward. 

“Egon!” 

“Hi,” he smiled. He stood and walked slowly up to her, taking her gently by the shoulders. “I just got back a few minutes ago. Winston said I wouldn’t get much work done until I could focus better. Ray agreed, saying I needed to patch things up with you first. And Peter wanted to spend some time on the beach, so …..,” he trailed off. 

Janine smiled warmly, a seductive glow in her eyes. “So, we have some time alone?” She wrapped her arms around his waist. 

“Yes,” he said softly, his eyes darkening with desire. “I believe I need to give you a proper welcome to California,” he said as he moved to kiss down her neck. 

Janine leaned her head back to allow Egon better access to her neck while her hands grabbed at his shirt. She slowly pulled his shirt out from being tucked inside his pants as his hands slid from her shoulders down the length of her arms. She released a breathy moan, encouraging him to continue. 

Egon’s mouth soon covered hers, kissing her deeply. His hands found where her towel was tucked together and pulled it loose, letting it fall to the floor. He slowly walked her over to the bed, their mouths never parting. 

He laid her down on the bed, taking a moment to look at her naked body. He then spread her legs and placed his mouth over her sex, sucking and licking her. 

Janine grabbed the bed sheets and clenched them in her hands as her back arched. She moaned his name as his tongue ran fast circles over her clit. His hands grabbed and squeezed her buttocks. Within moments, he could feel her body tensing, ready for release. 

“Oh, oh, oh EGGOONNNNN!” She screamed as she came hard against his lips. She was panting as he cleaned her up. 

She then opened her eyes to see him quickly finishing what she had started with removing his shirt. He then removed his pants and boxers agonizingly slowly with that mischievous grin on his face. She was dying to have him inside her and he knew it. 

Finally, he crawled onto the bed, hovering above her. With one hand, he reached down and guided his cock inside of her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, hugging him to her. He placed both hands on the bed to support his weight as he began to thrust. He closed his eyes as he savored the feel of her body. He could feel her walls and muscles enveloping his cock, squeezing him towards his own release. Oh, she felt so good! She was so tight and wet! He moaned her name loudly as he picked up speed. 

“Oh yes! Oh Janine! So good! Ohhh, JANINE!” He moaned as he came hard inside of her. He could feel her second orgasm releasing as well. 

He carefully removed himself and laid down beside her, his body molding perfectly behind hers as they spooned. He held her against his chest as she hugged his arms around her. He felt her breathing begin to slow down to normal speed, as was his own. Soon, they drifted off to sleep.


	3. Bringing Down the House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters face the creature.

Egon returned to his own hotel room. Peter had gotten back from his trip to the beach; Winston was watching tv while Ray was researching the readings he had taken earlier. 

“Well, you and Big J kiss and make up?” Peter teased. 

Egon blushed. “Um … yes, we did,” he said, a slight cough afterwards.

“Good. Since you’re the only lucky bastard here who’s gotten laid, let’s get to work!” Peter said jokingly, giving Egon a friendly slap on the back.

In an effort to keep his composure and sway the conversation to a more appropriate topic, Egon sat down next to Ray at the desk. “What have you found?”

“I found residual readings behind the office building,” Ray replied. “Whatever tore up the office inside was the same entity that left the slime I found around back.”

“So all that mess was done by just one?!” Winston said. 

“It appears that way,” Egon answered. 

“And you said this slime is getting more powerful by the minute?” Peter asked. “So this imp is too?”

“Yes. We need to find it immediately,” Egon urged.

“Why was Louis’ office a target?” Winston asked.

“It could have something to do with Louis’ experience with Gozer, or it could be complete coincidence,” Ray replied.

“Whatever the reason, it needs to be captured,” Egon said.

********************************  
Janine was still lying in bed, relishing the wonderful experience she just had with Egon. Unfortunately, memories started flooding back.

****** 3 Years Ago - New York ******

Louis was driving Janine back to her place after their date. 

“Thanks for dinner, Louis. See ya Monday!” Janine started to open the door to get out.

“Wait, Janine! Umm …. this is our third date. I thought maybe you would … you know … invite me up?”

“I’m not really that kind of girl,” she replied, trying to come up with a good reason to not invite him up. Then, she remembered how Egon had not so subtly ignored her last advance earlier this week. She may has well have been completely naked in front of him, and he simply brushed her off. Janine frowned, her heart trying to stop her from making the next move; however, her mind overrode her heart. “Ya know what? You’re right. Come on up!”

**********************  
Janine shook her head, trying to erase that particular memory. Sex with Louis was not something to brag about. Especially since she did it for all the wrong reasons: 1) desperation from failing to get Egon’s attention; 2) to shut Louis up; and 3) she was horny. 

“It’s the past. You don’t even love him!” She told herself as she got out of bed and started getting dressed. No, she had never truly loved Louis, but she did like the sweet things he did for her during their short courtship. 

He once bought her an eyeglass repair kit when he was out getting his vitamins. He had gotten it simply “because he saw it and thought about her,” he had said. 

She also remembered how he had brought her cups of coffee from time to time at the office because he knew she would be needing it. And he had packed her lunch on several occasions. He would always be so happy when she would thank him, and he would always remind her that he liked doing things for her. 

Seeing him again brought back those memories. And now Egon has been jealous because he must be insecure. “Well, he shouldn’t be insecure now,” she grinned as she thought about it. She knew she truly loves Egon. He has always had her heart, even when he didn’t try. She just wished that he would be more comfortable with public displays of affection. Louis never seemed to mind; he’d hold her hand or put his arm around her whenever they went out. Egon would do neither. 

Janine sighed loudly then finished getting dressed. She didn’t want the guys waiting on her. Once dressed, she walked up the hall to the guys’ room.

“Afternoon boys!” She greeted them.

“Hey Janine! Have a good nap?” Ray asked with genuine sincerity. 

“Yeah, Red. Have a good ‘nap’?” Peter teased, giving her a playful wink.

She narrowed her eyes and returned an evil grin at Peter. “Yeah! I’ve gotten more ‘sleep’ than you have!” She then walked over to where Egon and Ray was sitting.

Winston was laughing while Peter stood there, speechless. 

“We’re dealing with a potentially dangerous imp,” Egon explained.

“Nah, I don’t think Dr. V is that bad,” Janine teased. 

“Seriously, Janine. This creature is getting stronger by the minute,” Egon said sternly. 

Janine’s expression and demeanor became serious. “So how many are there?”

“So far, we think just one,” Ray said. “But we can’t be sure. The slime that was left behind at the office has the same readings, so we think it's just one.”

“Then we go back and find it?” Janine asked. She wanted to get back to New York. She was tired of the trips down memory lane of her and Louis’ relationship. 

“There must be something this imp wants, some reason it has attacked Louis’ uncle’s office,” Egon thought out loud. 

“Ray said it could be coincidence?” Peter pointed out.

“I don’t think so,” Egon said as he inspected something under his microscope more closely. 

The others gathered around the desk. Finally, Egon looked up to address them. 

“I found something in the storage closet at the back of the office. I almost missed it. As I was leaving the room, a glare caught my eye. It was actually a remnant of a bone-like item left lying on the floor. After examining it more closely, I see it’s actually part of a claw.”

“From the imp?” Janine asked.

“Yes. And I’m afraid it may not be an imp. Not anymore.”

“What is it?” Ray asked.

“It’s turning into a powerful Class 7 demon.”

“So, what’s the next step in trapping this thing?” Peter asked.

“Without knowing what triggered the attack, it’s difficult to know if it will return to the office again,” Egon said. “But if it does, I think we should be there ready to catch it. If a second site becomes a target, we will need to split into groups in order to catch both.”

Just then, the room phone rang. Winston was the closest to it so he answered. The others listened as his end of the conversation consisted of “uh-huh, ok, and I see.”

After he hung up, he looked at the others to fill them in. “That was Louis. It seems a second site has been hit: his uncle’s home.”

“Let’s go and see what we find!” Ray said.

Winston has written down the address and landmarks that Louis had given him. They all piled into the company car and headed there. 

Once there, they entered the home. Uncle Byron was there as well as Louis and Jackie. 

“Hi guys! Hi Janine! I don’t think I’ve introduced you to our secretary and best paralegal Jacqueline Morrow!” Louis said as they all shook hands. 

“I’m their only paralegal,” Jackie said, blushing. 

Janine smiled until she noticed that Louis had his arm wrapped around Jackie’s waist. Egon then casually stepped forward, protectively wrapping his arm around Janine’s. She knew what was going on but this was not the time to call him out on it. 

“Let me show you where this damn thing attacked my housekeeper!” Uncle Byron said. He led them into the kitchen where there were broken dishes everywhere. Windows were broken as well as the dining table. It had been smashed beyond repair. 

“I asked Marjorie, my housekeeper, to stay to tell you what she saw. Then she can go home.”

Byron introduced them to each other, then Marjorie began her experience. 

“I was setting the dishes out for dinner. Then I heard a giggle. I turned around and saw a creature standing on top of the table, grinning and getting ready to throw the dishes at me!”

Egon walked up to Marjorie and spoke gently: “I realize this is very frightening, but do you remember what this creature looked like? How y’all was it?”

“I will never forget it. It stood about five feet tall; it was scaly like a snake and was a light green color. It had long claws on its hands, except one, which looked broken.”

“The one you found in the office,” Ray whispered. 

Egon nodded. “What else? Did it speak?”

“No. It just laughed. It had terrible fangs and a long, spiked tail.”

“Thank you ma’am. Go home and rest,” Egon said. He walked back to the group and said: “This imp has already begun its transformation.”

“How Big is it gonna get?” Janine asked.

“The boundaries are unlimited,” Egon answered. He turned to Uncle Byron. “Do you know why this creature has targeted your office and your home?”

Byron thought for a moment. Then his eyes widened. “I wonder if it has anything to do with an artifact I found?” He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a necklace that had a strange looking stone attached. It was a large red jewel that sparkled like diamonds. 

“Wow! That’s beautiful!” Jackie squealed. 

“Yeah, I thought you’d like it!” Byron said with a smile. “I was gonna give it to Louis to give to you!” He winked slyly at Louis. 

“Where did you get this?” Egon asked urgently. He walked quickly up to Byron and examined the necklace. 

“I bought it last week from some guy at a giant flea market! He said he had found it a month or so ago when he was on a hike.”

“What is it, Spengs?” Peter asked.

“It’s The Amulet of Power,” Egon said.

“I read about that once!” Ray shouted excitedly. “Whatever demon possesses it has absolute power over all the demons!”

“Well, now we know what it’s after,” Winston said. 

“And we can use it as bait!” Janine said. She walked over to Byron and held out her hand. He placed it in her palm. Janine put the necklace in her jumpsuit pocket and headed towards the door. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Hold on! What do you think you’re doing?!” Egon practically shouted. 

Janine stood in front of Egon, her eyes determined. “We need bait to lure that thing back out to catch it.”

“Why you?”

“Because it’s after the necklace and I’m a girl. Girls like jewels.”

“Come on Janine. Let us take it,” Winston said, trying to persuade her to change her mind. 

Suddenly, a loud shrieking sound was heard outside the house. Everyone ran outside and saw the creature standing in the yard. It had grown to seven feet tall and quite muscular. 

“HEAT EM UP!” Peter yelled. 

They had their gear on so they powered up, grabbing their throwers. 

“Louis, keep Byron and Jackie inside!” Winston ordered. 

He did exactly that, no questions asked.

The Ghostbusters all fired at the demon, but it was able to deflect the streams with a bolt of blue light that shot from its hands. 

“Cover me!” Janine screamed. 

Before anyone could protest, she ran down the length of the yard while the guys distracted the creature. They fired their throwers again, giving Janine the chance to cut across the yard and come up from behind the creature. 

She then fired her thrower at full power. The creature screamed in anger as the Busters held it tightly in the streams. Janine threw out the trap. “TRAP OPEN!” She yelled as she stomped the pedal, opening the ghost trap.

The guys boosted their throwers to full power, allowing them to hold the creature in place. 

It writhed and thrashed, using its tail to swipe at Janine. She dodged the long spikes on the tail, but it did knock the ghost trap away from her. Her foot slipped off the pedal, causing the trap to close. 

Janine lost her balance and fell landing on her side. She grabbed her thrower and fired again as she got back on her feet. 

The creature was still thrashing its tail around, trying to hit the guys with it. Peter had been knocked down; he was struggling to catch his breath. He had landed backwards on his proton pack. Winston and Ray were still trying to catch it in the streams. Egon had grabbed the trap that had been knocked away from Janine. 

“Hey Ugly! Ain’t this what you want?!” Janine screamed. 

The creature turned its attention to her. She was holding the necklace in the air. The creature’s eyes widened as it made its way back towards Janine. 

“Get away from that thing!” Egon yelled. 

“FIRE! NOW!” Janine screamed. 

“Not until you’re clear! Get outta there!” Peter ordered. 

“Here!” Egon shouted as he shoved the ghost trap into Peter’s hand. He then ran towards Janine. 

The creature swung its tail again. Egon jumped over it like a jump rope and kept running to Janine. He grabbed the necklace from her and pushed her aside. 

“EGON! NO!” Janine screamed. 

“I’M NOT GOING TO LET YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF! I LOVE YOU!” He screamed over the noise of the creature’s screams. 

“I LOVE YOU, TOO!” Janine screamed back.

“OK YOU TWO! HE LOVES HER, SHE LOVES HIM, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. LET’S GET THIS BITCH!” Peter yelled. 

“FULL POWER!” Winston yelled. 

“HIT IT!” Peter screamed.

They all fired at full power: Peter, Ray and Winston from the front, Egon and Janine from the back. The creature couldn’t fight them off from both sides at once. 

Peter threw out the trap and opened it. “LOWER IT DOWN!”

Together they lowered the creature down into the trap, sealing it inside. Egon turned to Janine, grabbing her and pulling her to him. Their lips crashed together as they kissed deeply. 

The others grinned at each other. 

“Jeez! Get a room!” Peter groaned. 

They broke the kiss, smiling at each other. 

“Don’t ever do that again,” Egon whispered to her. 

“Only if you don’t,” Janine whispered back.

They then returned to the others. Ray was holding the smoking trap, grinning from ear to ear. 

Winston patted Janine on the shoulder. “For a little lady, you’ve got some huge balls!”

She blushed. “I figured I’m short enough, it’ll never see me coming!” 

They laughed as they returned to the house. Byron, Louis and Jackie met them at the door. 

“That was awesome!” Louis shouted, shaking Peter’s hand. 

“All in a day’s work!” he said with a grin. 

“I’m afraid we’ll need to find a way to dispose of the necklace,” Egon said to Uncle Byron. 

“Not a problem! This thing has caused enough trouble!” Byron replied. 

“I have a friend in New Jersey that has an occult shop. He’ll be able to conceal it,” Ray offered. 

“That will have to do,” Egon said. 

“Let me set up dinner reservations for you before you head back to New York!” Uncle Byron suggested. 

“May I make one request?” Egon asked. He then whispered something to Byron. 

Byron looked over at Janine and smiled. “Of course!” He told Egon.

Janine gave him a questioning look; he only smirked at her, raising one eyebrow. “What have you done?” She asked. 

“Just making a small request for dinner,” Egon replied. He took her gently by the arm and led her to the door. 

Louis, Uncle Byron, and Jackie bid them goodbye. Egon held the car door open as Janine got inside. The driver started the car as the others got in. Soon, they headed back to the hotel to prepare for dinner.


	4. Love is Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters go out to dinner.

Everyone had freshened up and were on their way to the restaurant where Uncle Byron had made dinner reservations. Janine was curious as to what Egon had whispered to Byron. 

They all entered the restaurant. But Egon and Janine were shown to a different table from the rest of the guys. They were seated at a small table in a more secluded area of the restaurant. The lighting was dimmed, classical music playing softly, and the table was lit by candlelight.

“Ooh, Egon! This is gorgeous!” Janine purred, her eyes sparkling. 

“I’m glad you approve,” Egon said with a slight blush. 

“What’s the special occasion?”

“I thought I should make a step towards public displays of affection.”

“Egon! This isn’t a step; it’s a huge leap! But I very much appreciate it!”

Egon reached across the table and took her by the hand. “Well, I’ve made such small gestures during our courtship so far, I thought it was time to make a big one. I love you very much.”

Janine squeezed his hand. “Egon, I love you very much, too. And I guess I could try harder to show you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your efforts.” Egon was a bit confused. “Why do you think you haven’t?”

“Well, I do little things every day to show you how much I love you,” Janine admitted. “Like last week, I washed the blanket that you keep on your lab couch.”

Egon smiled, his eyes lighting up. “Aha! I thought it had a fresh smell!”

Janine giggled. “Yeah, it needed it.”

“I must also confess that I do things for you as well,” Egon admitted. “I always make sure you have a clean jumpsuit ready in case we need your help.”

Janine’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s crossed my mind a few times how it just works out!” 

She sat and thought for a moment. “Hang on! Did you have anything to do with why my pen holder suddenly is overflowing? I didn’t buy any pens!”

Egon gave her a sheepish smile. “The guys have a bad habit of walking off with your pens. I find them sometimes lying around. So yes, I collected the ones I could find and returned them for you.”

He noticed a smirk on Janine’s face. “What else have you done?”

“Well, I cleaned up your microscope a couple of weeks ago. You had to leave in a hurry on a call. I knew it would be a while before you got back and wanted it ready for you when you returned.”

Egon leaned across the table and gave Janine a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for all the times you bring snacks to the lab for me.”

“You won’t stop for lunch so it’s the least I can do,” Janine replied. “And thank you for all the times you keep Slimer away from my stuff.”

Egon smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I must also admit that I’ve had my insecurities when you first arrived. I know you had a relationship with Louis, and I was afraid I was going to lose you.”

“Oh Egon, you’ll never lose me, especially not to Louis! I did have a few times where memories of our short time of dating crossed my mind. But he never truly made me happy. He did little things for me too, but he always made a big deal about it. You don’t; you do things quietly and with no expectations of getting anything in return.”

“We do things for each other because we love each other,” Egon said. “Love doesn’t expect anything in return.”

The couple enjoyed a wonderful dinner; they had light hearted conversation full of laughter. Peter, Winston and Ray were having their own dinner in the other section of the restaurant. 

“Wonder what the lovebirds are up to?” Winston said, grinning.

“I guess that’s what Egon must’ve whispered to Louis’ uncle?” Ray speculated.

“Why the secrecy?” Peter said, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Maybe they just wanted some privacy, Pete?” Winston said.

Peter just playfully winked while he raised his scotch glass.

Meanwhile, the waiter had brought out a dessert for Egon and Janine to share. She was getting ready to dig into the cheesecake when Egon cleared his throat, diverting her attention.

“Janine, I want you to know that I’ve never been happier this past year since we’ve been dating.”

“Oh yes! Hasn’t it been great?!”

“It has, but I’m hoping it can be even greater.” He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. 

Janine’s eyes widened, instantly filling with tears. “Egon!” she whispered. 

He stood and knelt on one knee in front of Janine. Taking her hand, he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “Janine, I love you more than I could ever say. Please let me spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. Will you marry me?”

With tears streaming down her face, Janine squeezed his hand. “YES! A thousand times, YES!”

He slipped the diamond ring on her left hand and she leaned in kissing him passionately on the lips. The other patrons who had stopped their meals to watch the romantic proposal clapped for the happy couple. 

Egon helped Janine stand and they shared a brief hug. It was then that she saw Peter, Ray and Winston standing close by, clapping and smiling from ear to ear. 

“Did you guys know?” she asked as she broke the hug. 

“Peter just told us!” Ray said, giving Janine a big hug. 

“We couldn’t wait to get over here to watch!” Winston said, hugging her, too.

“So you brought the ring with you?” Janine asked Egon. 

He smiled mischievously. “I didn’t know for sure that we would need you on this case. So, yes - I packed the ring just in case.”

“What would you have done if I hadn’t needed to come out here?” 

Egon shrugged his shoulders. “I would’ve brought it back and asked you in New York.”

Janine threw her arms around Egon’s neck, tiptoeing to plant another kiss on his lips. 

Peter slapped Ray and Winston on the back. “Well, looks like it’s a good thing they’ve got their own room!”

“Yeah, looks like they’re gonna need it!” Winston said. 

“Hey, let’s buy a round of drinks to celebrate!” Ray suggested. 

Egon and Janine joined the others at their table where they spent a good part of their evening celebrating together.


End file.
